Michael Jung and the Belgians
After Thursday afternoon during the first day of our Z-Tour 2022 we were able to warm up with the opening classes, and yesterday no less than eight different classes were on the program which were neatly divided over the three different arenas.
In the afternoon we had to look forward to the 1.45m main class of the CSI2* competition at the Ratina Z Arena were a speed class was scheduled for them. In the end it was the German rider Michael Jung who claimed the victory with the 10-year-old mare Edo Sandra (Eldorado van de Zeshoek x Sandro Boy). Jung, who also finished third in the opening class for the 6-year-old horses on Thursday, finished in 57.74 seconds, narrowly beating the competition.
Second place went to lady rider Odile Gierech with the also 10-year-old mare A-Myra Z (Arko III x Takashi Van Berkenbroek). Gierech, who recently exchanged Belgian nationality for Luxembourg nationality, crossed the finish line in 57.80 seconds and was just short of victory. For the Dutch rider Tom Schellekens there was a third place with the 12-year-old mare Fiarabo (Diarado x Padinus). He finished in 59.85 seconds.
Belgian riders dominate
Earlier in the day, especially the Belgian riders came out particularly strong and they had managed to take care of all the other CSI2* classes. For example, yesterday morning the 1.30m class at the Ratina Z Arena was won by lady rider Camille Demolie with the 15-year-old mare Cavalla (Calvaro Z x Clinton). In a class against the clock, Demolie finished in 55.72 seconds and with that she finished more than half a second ahead of her closest pursuer.
And that was the Dutch rider Piet Raijmakers Jr. with his 10-year-old gelding Van Schijndel's Hanibal (Van Schijndel's Rascin x Indoctro), the winners of Thursday's opening class. Raijmakers reached the finish in 56.28 seconds and with that he was just short of another victory. The third place went also to Belgium, and this was ensured by Jonathan Dourcy with the 8-year-old stallion Kansall (Kannan x Casall). He completed the podium here after a finish time of 62.57 seconds.
Dries Dekkers
No less than ninety-one combinations appeared in the ring at the Almé Z Arena yesterday morning during the 1.35m class, where a 2 phase special class was programmed. In this it was Dries Dekkers who managed to ensure a victory with the 15-year-old gelding Hippos van de Rostal (d'Ukase x Cantus). Dekkers crossed the finish line in 29.84 seconds in the 2nd phase and was the only one to stay under the 30 seconds mark.
The German lady rider Katharina Von Essen was good for a second place in the ranking. She also kept it twice clear with the 11-year-old mare Calina (Chippendale Z x Garmisch), but she needed 31.08 seconds to complete her second phase. Third place went to the Swiss rider Andreas Erni with the 11-year-old mare Babouchka de l'Epine (Mylord Carthago x Le Tôt de Semilly). He stopped the clock in 31.21 seconds and thus also secured a place on the podium.
Convincing Andres Vereecke
The last CSI2* class that took place yesterday was a 1.40m high speed class and in this too we got a Belgian rider at the top of the standings. The victory went to Andres Vereecke with his 14-year-old gray mare In The Mood (Winningmood van de Arenberg x Calypso III), with whom he also won a class last month in Oliva. Vereecke rushed to the finish line in 52.74 seconds and with that he was almost one and a half seconds ahead of the competition.
The British rider Tim Gredley was good for a second place in the standings. He did this in the saddle of the 13-year-old gelding Jimmy Mack V Berkenbroeck (Quorum de Laubry x Perhaps vh Molenvondel), whom he managed to send to the finish in 54.11 seconds. With that he did it just a little faster than the Dutch rider Joos Martens. He and the 9-year-old mare Indence H.J. (Falaise de Muze x Carinjo) took third place after a finish time of 54.42 seconds.
